"I've missed you." Eliza said hugging her youngest granddaughter.
"Me too." The teen said as MJ bypassed any hugs and went straight towards the house.
Once the teenage Alex had been released Eliza hugged her youngest daughter.
"How are you?"
"I'm good." Kara smiled into the hug before asking. "Is that chocolate pecan pie I smell?" Kara asked.
"Of course. But try to leave some for dessert." Eliza replied before moving onto Alex.
"Sorry Kara didn't come." Alex apologised to her mother as she hugged her.
"I understand. You hated visiting relatives when you were that age as well. In fact I am pretty sure you didn't like to be within one hundred miles of me." Eliza reminded her.
"That's not entirely true."
"Uhh, you deliberately got grounded so you wouldn't have to go on that trip to Chicago." Kara reminded her.
"What did you do?" MJ asked suddenly interested in the conversation and willing to risk being hugged.
"Stole my car to go to a party." Eliza said.
"I did not steal it. I just took it without permission to go to a social event." Alex argued.
"That you were banned from." Kara reminded her.
"So taking without permission is okay?" MJ asked.
"Let's not dredge up the past." Alex said.
"Why don't you guys go drop the bags off then you can tell me about your trips to Metropolis and Argo?" Eliza suggested.
"Sure." The two teens said walking off.
"Thank you." the older Alex said to her mother before turning to her sister and saying. "Please can you stop encouraging MJ?"
-00-
"Thank you." The teenage Kara said as she sat in Lena's lounge.
"For what?"
"Letting me stay here."
"Of course. But if you think your mother has strict rules, she has nothing on me. Plus you owe me an internship."
"You said you pay me, plus it will look good on my college applications."
"Yes it will. Any ideas on where you are applying?"
"Not really."
"Unlike you not to have a plan."
"I'm worried about leaving mom."
"The same mother that you sent to Midvale without you?"
"That's different." The teen argued.
"Worrying about your mom in not your job."
"Yeah well, she doesn't worry about herself and MJ is oblivious most of the time. And for him to notice something is wrong things have already got pretty bad."
"I'll look after her, so will your aunt. You just focus on what you want." Lena said as the doorbell rang. "I assume that is Diz."
-00-
"So how are you two doing?" Eliza asked her daughters as MJ and the teenage Alex were surfing.
"Fine." They both said.
"Your frowns say different. And Alex, you look tired."
"Well I am swamped with work. Plus there are two teenagers who are trying to drive me crazy."
"It will get easier."
"That's what you said last year." Alex reminded her. "And I am pretty sure it is worse."
"What exactly is bothering you?" Eliza asked.
"Kara doesn't want to spend any time with me and is ignoring every ground rule I put down and MJ's grades are slipping and no matter what I do, it doesn't help. Plus I know he is still hurting, but he won't open up."
"Alex, you went through a three month period where your entire vocab towards me consisted of twenty words, most of them designed to hurt me."
"I just hate not feeling on control." Alex said. "And right now it feels like I am in control of nothing."
"Not being in control is part of parenting. No matter what you do Kara and MJ need to find their own paths. All you can do is make sure there is somewhere safe to come back to." She said as Kara jumped up and looked out to sea having just seen her daughter get taken out by a wave. Seeing Alex crawl back onto her board she sat down again before noticing the looks Eliza and her sister were giving her.
"What? I didn't fly over there." She pointed out.
"I think you might want to recap the not being being in control speech." Alex said dryly to her mother.
"You two came here to have a break and recharge. You can't do that if you are constantly worrying." Eliza said. "MJ and Alex are fine, why don't you go and have fun?"
"Pretty sure Alex doesn't know what that is." Kara grinned.
"You are such a brat." Her sister countered.
"The kids that you are so worried about are managing it." Eliza said pointing to MJ and Alex who were back on their boards surfing. "So, so should you. Or if you prefer there are plenty of chores that need doing round here." Eliza suggested.
"That doesn't sound like fun." Kara countered.
"But you get a sense of achievement with it." Alex said standing. "Let's go."
Confused Kara followed her sister to the garage and watched as Alex dug around until she found the toolbox.
"Wait, you were being serious?" Kara asked.
"Why did you think I came here?" Alex asked.
"To have fun?" Kara suggested.
"Like I said fixing the loose door and repair the gutter will give a sense of accomplishment." Alex said. "Seeing you can fly, you do the gutter I'll do the door."
-00-
"You okay?" Diz asked the teenage Kara as they walked back to Lena's apartment after their dinner.
"Sure."
"You sure? You seem a little spacey."
"Sorry."
"You feel bad about not going to Midvale?" Diz guessed.
"A little."Kara agreed before repeating her apology. "Sorry."
"Why are you apologising?" He asked.
"Because I am ruining your weekend."
"You aren't ruining anything." Diz said. "If you want-" He started only for a man to walk into them
"Watch it." Diz said as the man mumbled something and walked off. "You okay?" He asked Kara.
"Fine." She said.
"You sure?"
"Yeah." She replied with a distant expression, sounding like she was just going through the motions.
"Kara?"
"Yes. What?"
"You really spaced out there."
"Sorry, I was just thinking about … it doesn't matter. You're right I'm feeling guilty about Midvale." She said wrapping her arms round her body, trying to get warm.
"You cold?" He asked.
"A little. Aren't you?"
"Not really. Here, take this." He said giving her his jacket.
"Thanks. But you do know the apartment complex is just there." Kara said nodding across the street.
"You'd prefer being cold?" He asked.
"No." She conceded as they crossed the street. "Sure you don't need this?" She asked.
"Seeing we are at the building? No." Diz replied as the doormen held the door open for them.
"Thanks Charlie." Kara said as they walked to the elevator.
"Want me to take you up there?"
"Lena's apartment?" Kara asked confused as they were already in the elevator.
"No, I meant Midvale."
"No. I'm fine here."
"You don't look it."
"I'm fine." Kara said entering Lena's apartment.
"Hi guys." Lena said seeing them before looking at Kara and asking. "Everything okay? You are looking a little pale."
"I'm fine, just got a little cold. The temperature plummeted." The teen said before asking. "Are you okay if we watch a movie?"
"Sure. I'll be in the study if you need me." Lena said walking off.
"So what do you want to watch?" Diz asked.
"You choose." Kara said leaning against Diz.
"Okay." He said trying to find a comedy. Finally settling on one he set it playing before looking down and seeing Kara had fallen to sleep. He then tried to get comfortable without moving Kara and then watched the film.
Ten minutes later though Kara started to flinch and whimper before her eyes flew open and she screamed in pain.
-00-
"I don't get this game." The teenage Alex complained as they sat round the table.
"I do get it and it still sucks." MJ said.
"You only think that because you are losing." The older Alex said unsympathetically.
"That's kinda normal for him though." The teenage Alex pointed out.
"I trounced you at bowling last week." MJ said.
"You told me I had to lose so I wouldn't stand out." The teenage Alex countered.
"Well you took losing to a whole new level." MJ said.
"MJ." The older Alex said.
"What? It's true." MJ pointed out.
"He in glass houses shouldn't throw stones." Kara said.
"What?" MJ and the teenage Alex asked confused.
"It's a saying." Kara said just as she heard her niece's alarm.
"We have to go." Kara said changing into her Supergirl costume and grabbing her sister before flying off, leaving everyone else confused.
-00-
"What happened?" Alex asked as she and Supergirl landed next to the teenage Kara who was screaming in pain, her pant leg cut open, as Diz tried to calm her and Lena examined her exposed leg.
"Don't know. She woke up screaming." Diz said, his voice displaying his panic, as Alex dropped to her daughter's side.
"It's her leg." Lena said, still looking at the exposed the limb. "But I can't see anything wrong." She added as Alex started to look at her daughter's leg. "It could be the nanites but there are no obvious signs they are malfunctioning." Lena went on as the teenage Kara screamed in pain.
"We need to get her to hospital." Alex said to Supergirl who immediately picked up her niece and sister and flew them to hospital.